Oscar Futures: Clint Tells Batman to Get Off His Lawn

Every week between now and January 22, when the nominations are announced, movies and stars will help themselves — or, sometimes, hurt themselves — in the Oscar race. Vulture’s Oscar Futures will listen to insider gossip, comb the Oscar blogs, and out-and-out guess when necessary to track who’s up, who’s down, and who’s currently leading the race for a coveted nomination.

Best Picture

UP:Gran Torino. Yes, it would almost certainly lose to Slumdog Millionaire, but Oscar-watching Daves Karger and Carr think it could sneak in there.

DOWN:The Dark Knight. Ignored by BAFTA — maybe it's not a lock for that fifth slot!

UP: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire. His predictable victory at the Golden Globes and Slumdog's BAFTA nomination count (along with the fact that his movie's won basically every other award), make his lead seem even more insurmountable than it was last week.

DOWN: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight. With Gran Torino and The Reader making last-minute surges, will he and his movie get snubbed?

UP: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire. He cried through the entire Golden Globes — wouldn't it be more fun to see him make an emotional speech than a monotone Christopher Nolan, accepting for Heath Ledger?